Superficial Carbon Damage

[Red Zone]

I have a friend looking to buy a bike with carbon seatstays, there is some superficial (I think) damage to the carbon stays, it looks like the top layer of carbon has been scuffed.

 

She has been advised to paint a bit of nail varnish over the scratches to bind them back together, I dont know what is in nail varnish, but could it affect the resin?

 

What should be done?

[DawieO]

I believe this is what you are looking for:

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=29833

 

enjoy.

[Johan Bornman]

I hope you're not a troll.

 

 

At the risk of being caught for a sucker, let me answer.

 

Paint it with what you like, it will NOT make one iota's difference to the integrity of the carbon. The paint can be acetone-based (like in nail varnish), thinners-based like in some older car paint, epoxy-based like in modern base-coat clear-coat paints or oil based like in household enamels. You can even do PVA if you're that way inclined. Carbon fibre in resin is for all practicaly purposes inert.

 

Edited to fix "intert" that should have read "inert".

 

 

Johan Bornman2008-08-04 01:08:05

[mbaymike]

I hope you're not a troll.

 

 

At the risk of being caught for a sucker' date=' let me answer.

 

Paint it with what you like, it will NOT make one iota's difference to the integrity of the carbon. The paint can be acetone-based (like in nail varnish), thinners-based like in some older car paint, epoxy-based like in modern base-coat clear-coat paints or oil based like in household enamels. You can even do PVA if you're that way inclined. Carbon is for all practicaly purposes intert.

 

 

[/quote']

 

what does this mean.....never heard the word before....just curious.

[Red Zone]

I believe this is what you are looking for:

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=29833

 

enjoy.

 

Thants not realy much help, PPWTF wants to paint or coat his peeling decals, I have some light damage to the Carbon.

 

Johan, is the resin used to bond the carbon also inert?

[GoLefty!!]

INTERT:

 

Stems from the Latin Inturda, which means speaking out of your arse..

[Johan Bornman]

I believe this is what you are looking for:

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=29833

 

enjoy.

 

Thants not realy much help' date=' PPWTF wants to paint or coat his peeling decals, I have some light damage to the Carbon.

 

Johan, is the resin used to bond the carbon also inert?

[/quote']

 

Yes. No paint or paint solvent will do any damage to it. As you can see from the experiment conducted in the link above, Acetone, the principle solvent in nail varnish, does abslutely nothing to carbon fibre matrix. Carbon and fibre glass also survive superficial damage quite well. In aluminium or steel for instance, some damage leaving sharp edges or nicks could propagate cracks. In a fibre-based material those cracks are largely arrested by the fibres crossing the path of the crack.

 

If you assessment of "superficial damage" is remotely accurate, your chainstay is good to go and be painted with anything.

 

 

Johan Bornman2008-08-04 01:20:54

[mbaymike]

INTERT:
Stems from the Latin Inturda' date=' which means speaking out of your arse..[/quote']

[Guest Big H]

Carbon goes "snap, crackle, pop!!!!!!" when it breaks!!!!!!!

[PPWTF]

 

Carbon goes "snap' date=' crackle, pop!!!!!!" when it breaks!!!!!!![/quote']

 

............and the rider goes...... F**K...!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

first off when

the seat posts sharp carbon shards contact the butt, instead of the fizik/sella/etc

 

secondly when they

realize the replacement price of the seat post.......